Don't get me wrathed (rhatid)

So I am back in the world of 7:30-5 and am using the opportunity to catch up on the news I missed during my sojourn on 1 in 2, 24hr duty of Labour ward, only to come across some real slackness weh print inna di newspapa from Sunday! Forgive my courseness from this point onwards (that's as best a disclaimer you'll get in these here parts).

Vilma Mais get har troat slit by a cowardly fassy who chose to do so cause her bag strap ketch inna har watch when im did a try tek it offa har shoulda. Im tink seh a resis di 62 yr owle ooman di a resis! Neva mine seh a roun di back a di church she a come from weh she go a day time go pray. Im coulda cut di bag strap as easy as im cut har troat, but why bada cause she no wut nutten anyway! Clearly she neva ave a friggin use but fi dull im knife blade. She owle anyway, an plenty more de bout.

So the Archbishop of Kingston (from henceforth referred to as Archie) spoke out against the dastardly deed and crime in general in Jamaica. Apparently he did this at her funeral and in a statement to the press. So we get to what got me r@*s mad. From Archie get di post him a talk out gainst crime inna Jamaica. Nobady no pay im no mind and dat is expected. But now it mek news and ppl a write inna di editorial seh "Where was the church before Vilma Mais?" and "Archbishop waited too long to speak!"

So hold on now.... since he has spoken crime has abated? Were the criminals waiting to see what he would say before they desisted? They faxed about the memo from the church and are now officially retired or at least on sabbatical? Yow! OOnu cut out di backside foolishness!!!

As a Catholic
I try to be involved in my church and so I attend several functions we host. For that reason I have had occassion to hear Archie decry violence and call for Roman Catholics and Jamaicans to take the bold step and take positive action in changing Jamaica.

At the meeting of the Catholic men islandwide we pointed out that the Catholic church over the last 20yrs has seen a decline in membership from 7% to 3% (I had no idea we were that small in numbers) and 1/2 of those persons are only from Baptismal and Confirmation records and we haven't seen them since. As a church we are a drop in the bucket. Ppl come to us for assistance cause we happen to have a number of members who are affluent and so they gats money fi gi weh! But we don't have the strength in numbers or commitment. In all the churches it's the same cry "same ppl involved in all the ministries, stretching themselves thin". We preach bout it, we beg, cajole, guilt and it no mek no diffrance. No reporta neva come dem deh session deh fi report pon nutten!! Frankly we aren't newsworthy until.......

The Catholic Opinion (our official church newsletter) used to be sold only at our churches, but now it is distributed with the Sunday Gleaner once per quarter I believe. In it, if ppl ever bothered to read it, you would see the church's position on various issues in the country. Abortion, the new laws, the violence, etc... all those issues spoken about. Sponsorship has allowed us to place a copy in the Gleaner for all to read. But who bothered to read it? Clearly not those who think that we haven't been speaking out. Is what oonu want archie fi do.... call Perkins everyday? I ain't Portia, but oonu try don't draw my tongue neither!

As a Christian
Dem a fire bomb church and kill church folk fi quite a while now. You think that the criminal elements have any respect for what any of us have to say regardless of denomination? Dem same one used to get help from church ppl! Dem same one sen dem pickney go a church school! Dem same one grandpa and grandma get fed by church programmes! But dem deh owle wikkid nuh caihta to nutten an nobady!

Some years ago there was a church administrator at my church who was from Trinidad. He did a degree in Theology and was contemplating enrolling in the priesthood. He worked with the youth of my parish. Some of the same yout dem come to the church seh dem want money fi clothes. They were rationed some, but it wasn't enough for them. They came back to say that the sneakers they wanted cost $4K and that is the money dem want. He said no! So they decided that the collection money would be enough for them to acquire the shoes of their heart's desire. They snuck up on him one day and when he realised what was happening and turned to face them, they stabbed him in his chest with an ice-pick. He was in hospital for weeks. They missed his heart but punctured one lung. He wanted to press charges but his case was thwarted. Discouraged he resigned and went back to T&T, got married to an Indian Jubie and ketch 2 yout.

Di RC (insert fabric here) yout go a country and hide out fi months till him gone den im come back and want come roun ppl like seh nutten. Is true me a r@ss coward mek me no kill im miself!!! But what would dat accomplish?

As a Jamaican
I stop watch news and spend my time on my PC reading Reuters news to look at what is happening elsewhere. I blog and I listen music. Everything to avoid dealing with the issues in my country because it is easier to bury my head in the sand than make a stand. The kinda stand needed is a big one and I don't have the balls for it. So I continue to train as a medical doctor knowing that when I start work I will feed off the misery of this country like a succubus.

Every ulcer stomach from the violence, nervous disorders, stress syndromes, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, all linked to high stres levels. Is dem tings deh will buy my house and fancy car and pay Hawkeye fi protect me from the rest of the country and di dutty bungle dem! Insulated I will hope that no isolated incident won't breech my defences and take me out. Maybe I'll worry about it because of my kids and will suffer from my own stress syndrome (at least I can write my own prescription).

COWARDICE
It is plain cowardice to sit there and point fingers at others and say that they aren't doing enough. We all need to get off of our collective asses and do something. Every ant goes out and brings back a bit of food and that is how the colony survives. One ant alone can't feed everyone. Her little bit is a drop in the bucket, but combined efforts makes the difference. Fact is as long as I can make sure I am not touched (which is only by the grace of God anyway) I can continue to fool myself that it is an external problem. I'll save the $10,000 Canadian to migrate and think that I got away..... if I make it.

I continue to be a strugglingchristian because I like Adams and his Death Squad. I believe in putting birth control in the water. I can understand the fate of Sodom and Gomorah now and the Noah story. Pompey went its way as well when the Greeks got out of hand. (Quite a contrast to my message of clemency in my last post). Stop calling for the church to do something! The church is the ppl. If the buildings are empty then who is to make the difference? Why is the church good enough to solve the problems of the country but not good enough to join? Then oonu want to talk about the hypocrites in church? At least they have put themselves in a position where they can be helped.

Politician, church leader, NGOs, civil leaders can only blow hot air till they get the backative of the ppl.

Selah!!